James gave us an assignment. Bowls of various drawing utensils were on the table. He passed each of us an article from the New York Times to read. There was heavy, thoughtful sighing from the group. Were we up to the task? Brows furrowed. Nervous tics were triggered.

When time was up, we broke the silence to present/defend our sketches on racism, privilege, and cultural divides. James was listening, deeply, smoothing the tips of his moustache. And then with equal parts compassion and dagger: “The point . . . ,” he said, “is to have a fucking opinion.”

Point taken.

Because you can’t make art without an opinion. You can’t teach the world anything without shattering your assumptions. You cannot break free of status quo zombification until you learn to discern truth for yourself.

The anxiety that we normalize, the dulling effect of unquestioned obligations, the thud of “Is this all there is?” when we cross the finish line . . . we don’t have to live this way. Just ask the Creatives on the other side. The Fulfilled People. They are not without their agonies—in fact the more woke you get, the more pain you access. But oh, man, the freedom, the depth, the living.

Victore believes that normalcy is barbed wire to the human spirit. And questions are the wire cutters. This book is a subversive tool for consciousness-raising from a curmudgeonly mystic who doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks, but who is passionately in love with the world. It’s a plea from the heart: Have a fucking opinion and go make something with it.

So inspired,